Web control mechanism



June 1 ,1937. R. M Q'JOHNSTONE 2,032,635

' WEB CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORATTO RNEY June R. M C. JOHNSTON: a

WEB CONTROL MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 27, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I L 12a \4 i55 Q N Iii-iii- &

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ATTORNEY June 1, 1951. R, McC, JOHNSTONE 2,082,635

was CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Aug. 27, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 50 10 W L Z 1i E a 14 m i I a W.

1 g 1 I I INVENTOR ATTO RNEY Patented June 1, 1937 was oon'raor.MECHANISM Robert McC. Johnstone, Short Hills, N. J.,' assignor toCameron Machine Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication August 27, 1936, Serial No. 98,174

Claims.

This invention relates generally to electrical control systems, and hasmore particularly reference to a system for controlling the flow of aweb of flexible material.

The main object and feature of the invention is to accurately controlthe side ,register of a web flowing at a relatively high speed from aweb supply means, such as paper making machine or a rotatable reel fromwhich the web is unwound, to a processing mechanism, such as a slittingmechanism, a winding mechanism or a printing machine. 'In the form ofthe invention here shown the processing mechanism is a slitting andwinding machine.

Other objects and features of invention will appear as the specificationproceeds.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is disclosed in severalforms, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a web rollsupporting means and slitting and winding machine, embodying one form ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the web roll supporting means;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view substantially on the plane of line 33of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of arrow 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view substantially on the plane of line 5-5 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an electrical diagram showing one form of circuit means tocontrol a reversible motor;

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing an interrelated speedcontrol system between the winding machine motor and the reel shiftmotor.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a modified speed controlsystem.

I Fig. 9 is a view similar to Figs. "7 and 8 but shows system wherein asingle motor drives both the winding machine and the reel-shiftmechanism.

. Fig. 10 is a detail view showing a portion of the web with alongitudinal zone of conductive material together with the contactmembers therefor.

The web roll supporting means or reel stand is shown at A, the circuitcontrol means at B, the slitting mechanism at C and the winder at D. Aweb of flexible material W passes from web roll R over a non-rotatablemember 20 adjacent circuit control means B and over various rollers toslitting mechanism C and thence to the winding mechanism where theslitted sections are wound into rolls 2| and 22, the number of whichwill vary with the number of slitted sections produced. The means tosupport web roll R comthreaded rod 29, the latter capable of rotation 10but not of endwise movement. Ma indicates a reversible motor here of thedirect current type,

and 30 indicates transmission means between motor Ma and threaded rod29. It will be understood that the means just described constitutes 15 amechanism for shifting the roll support or reel transversely of thedirection of the flow of web W from roll R and that, when motor Ma isenergized, the supply reel will be moved transversely, its direction ofmovement depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor. For amere detail description of the roll stand equipment above outlined, myapplication Ser. No. 37,494, filed August 23, 1935, may be consulted.

slitting mechanism'C may be of any suitable type such as power-driven,overlapping shears or, as here shown, they may be of the score-cut typethat engage with a smooth-faced roller, here conveniently one of windingdrums D, and are rotated by frictional engagement therewith.

So likewise the winding means may be of the center-wind type in whichpower is applied to the center of rolls 2i and 22 or, as here ShWIl,surface winding drums D may be utilized. These drums are here driven inthe'same direction by a motor Mb through suitable transmission means 353|. It will be understood that the winder acts as a web pulling machineto unwind the web from roll R.

Slitting and winding machines are now being operated at very highspeeds, as much as a flow of a thousand feet, and over, 01' web perminute, and the control of a web at such a speed is no mean task. Itwill be understood that due to imperfections in the web and in thefeeding thereof, it is difllcult to maintain proper side-register of theweb with respect to the slitting and winding means. and that thereforeextremely sensitive and rapid-action means must be employed to maintainsuch side-register. The above diniculties are increased when the web tobe slitted carries a printed design, for the slitting action must thentake place in definite relation to such printed design, and it thereforebecomes not only desirable but practically necessary to feed 56 the webin a substantially undeviating path with respect to the slitters.

In order to overcome "the difficulties web W' carries a body ofconductive material M arranged to form a longitudinal zone. In case webW is paper, body or zone M can be a line of metallic ink; and, if web Wis of textile material, bodyM but, so soon as the web deviatessidewisefrom its proper path, one or the other of contact members b will engagezone M and a circuit will be established to control energization ofmotor Ma and thus the direction of .movement of the reelshiftingmechanism to thereby maintain zone M in a definite path with respect tothe slitters. The circuit means to accomplish this may take many forms.In Fig. 6 are shown two relays F and Fa, one of which, F, controls acircuit through one winding 34 of motor Ma, and the other of which, Fa,controls a circuitthrough the other winding of motor Ma. It will beapparent that contact member b can be directly connected to both of therelays F and Fa, and that one contact member b can be directly connectedto F, and the other contact member b to Fa, so that relays F and Fa willbe controlled by a circuit established through zone M. In the presentinstance, it is preferred to interpose amplifying means which here takethe form of the familiar three-element electron tubes E and Ea, thegridfllament circuits 32 of which are connected to contact members b andb, and the plate circuits 33 of which are connected to relays F and Fa.When zone M remains in its predetermined path, the armatures of relays Fand Fa are in their open position and motor Ma remains de-energized; butif zone M shifts sidewise, then one or the other of the armatures of Fand Fa will move into I closed position and will 'energize motor Mathrough winding 34 or, .35, as-the case may be, and will cause saidmotorto rotate in a direction appropriate to operate the reel-shift mechanismthrough the mechanical connections previously described so as to bringzone M back to its proper path, after which motor Ma is againde-energized.

It "will be understood that, if the speed of the winder which pulls theweb is high, the shifting movement of the-reel should be correspondinglyhigh, and that if the winder runs slowly said shift-ing movement shouldbe correspondingly slow. In Fig. '7 is shown a system in which the speedof motors Ma and Mb can be coordinated.

The arrangement of the parts is the same as in Fig. 6, except that aspeed control element, here conveniently represented by rheostat 36, isinterposed in the circuit of motor Ma, and another speed controlelement, here represented by rheostat 31, is interposed in the circuitof winding motor Mb. The two rheostats are connected so that when thespeed of the winding motor is changed, the speed of the reel-shift motoris likewise changed.

In Fig. 8 is shown a modification of the system shown in Fig. '7, inwhich rheostat 86 is controlled by a speed governor 38 driven by windingmotor Mb.

It is not necessary to use a reversible motor to actuate the reel-shiftmechanism. In Fig. 9, Mc indicates a unidirectional'motor which can becontinuously running and drives a shaft 42. Two trains of connectionsextend from shaft 42 to another shaft 43, one 44 driving said shaft 43in'one direction and another 45, having an intermediate gear, drivingshaft 43 in the opposite direction. Each of the transmission connections44 and 45 include a magnetic clutch 46 and 41. Circuit breakers F andFa, instead of controlling the motor circuit, control the ftw o magneticclutches by means of a circuit 48, so that when zone M runs true bothclutches are disengaged but when the zone deviates from its true pathone or the other of the clutches is engaged and shaft 43 is driven inthe appropriate direction. Shaft 43 carries a worm 49 engaging a sector50 pivoted at 5i, and sector 50 is provided with an arm 52 bifurcated atits upper end to engage a collar 53 on roll support 23 so as to shiftthe web roll in the apportionate direction. One of the advantages ofthis construction is that the same motor Mc can also be used to operatethe winder.

I claim:

1. The method or controlling the side register of a flowing web offlexible material which consists in: providing the web with alongitudinally extending zone of conductive material, utilizing saidzone as a part of a circuit, and controlling sidewise movement of theweb by said circuit.

2. The method of controlling the side register of a flowing web offlexible material which consists in: providing the web with alongitudinally extending zone of conductive material, establishing acircuit through said zone when the web deviates sidewise from its properpath, and effecting a compensating sidewise movement of the web inresponse to the establishing of said circuit.

3. In a system for controlling the side register of a flowing web offlexible material, mechanismto shift the web sidewise; and circuitmeans, including a body of conductive material carried by said web andarranged to form a longitudinal zone, to control the mechanismaforesaid.

4. In a system for controlling .the side register of a flowing web offlexible material, mechanism to shift the web sidewise; a body ofconductive material carried by said web and "arranged to 7 form alongitudinal zone; a contact member to normally engage said zone; twoother contact" members one on each side of the zone, normally out ofcontact with the zone but adapted to engage the latter when the webdeviates sidewise-

